Date: Fri 11-Oct-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

schools-sewer-high-school

Full Text:

Board Approves High School Sewer Hookup

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Fearing that Newtown High School's 27-year-old septic system might be on the

decline, Board of Education members unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday

night in favor of hooking up to the town sewer line.

The board had already received a report from the Department of Environmental

Protection (DEP) a month ago, citing problems with the aging septic system and

advising the town that it should consider making the sewer connection.

"Barring a reversal" of the DEP findings during selective testing of the

school's wells, Superintendent John Reed told board members that the overall

system might be in trouble.

"We need to discuss the connection with the sewer authority," Dr Reed advised

them during their workshop meeting October 1.

Board Chairman Herb Rosenthal responded that he wanted to take a more

proactive stance.

"Regardless of what DEP does, we should hook up to the sewer," Mr Rosenthal

said at the workshop meeting, adding "even without acknowledging any failures,

it makes sense to hook up now."

Although the DEP assessment might have been the stimulus for their decision,

board members agreed with Mr Rosenthal's opinion. They discussed the fact that

the school's septic system would undoubtedly fail someday and they also agreed

that, when that happened, installing an on site pre-treatment facility or

undertaking repair of the total system would be prohibitively expensive.

As part of its $27 million sewering project, the town has already set aside

money to lay a transitional line along Route 34, halfway to the high school,

Mr Rosenthal pointed out.

"It's a logical step," said board member Susan Hills.

After general agreement was reached during their workshop meeting, the board

voted unanimously Tuesday night on the sewer resolution.

As part of the board's action, Mr Rosenthal said he would send a letter to

First Selectman Robert Cascella and to Peter Alagna of the Water Pollution

Control Authority, stating the board hoped the town would move swiftly to make

the sewer connection with the high school, especially since funds available

from the Clean Water Act would run out in October 1997 and construction would

have to be completed by that time.

Well Contamination Issue

Earlier this year, in connection with the school system's $25-million plan to

expand Newtown High School, the DEP learned that some domestic water wells on

Oakview Road contained water with higher than acceptable nitrate levels,

posing health hazards. Oakview Road is a residential road west of the high

school.

The DEP has maintained that the high school's septic system has caused the

well water contamination.

Town officials, however, while acknowledging that the high school septic

system probably contributes to the pollution problem, point out that the area

is the site of a former septage lagoon and landfill. School athletic field

fertilization and the keeping of horses in the area also are thought to be

contributing factors to the nitrate pollution problem.

The high school expansion project then appeared to be in jeopardy due to the

pollution problems.

But after negotiations with the town, the state agreed to let the high school

expansion project proceed, provided that the town agreed to extend a sewer

line to the high school, or build a wastewater treatment plant at the high

school to remove nitrates from the high school wastewater.

The estimated cost for a sewer line extension to the high school is about

$550,000 to $600,000, according to Fuss and O'Neill. A pumping station to move

sewage from the high school to the sewer system also would be needed.